In 2012, the Boston College Board of Trustees gave approval for the renovation of St. Mary’s Hall, the primary residence of the University's Jesuit community.

The renovations, administrators said, are needed to restore the historically significant building, the second-oldest on the Chestnut Hill campus. The project will entail a complete facelift of St. Mary’s, similar to that of Gasson Hall, and will enable the Jesuit residence to remain in the location where it has stood for 95 years.

In addition, the renovations will allow the majority of the south wing of the building to be converted into University academic space, which will be occupied by the Communication and Computer Science departments, as well as the Woods College of Advancing Studies, when the building reopens in January 2015.

Construction Updates

St. Mary’s is an exterior and interior renovation. The work started on site January 14, and will continue to November 2014. All work will occur within the project site fencing.

Site activities during the period of February 28 - April 30, 2013:

• Exterior Building: All the existing cast stone must be removed, measured, photographed, shipped to the fabricator, molded, and poured, before the new cast stone is shipped back to Boston College—this process ensures that each piece is replicated. There are approximately 18,000 cast stone elements being removed, and with some stone combinations there are approximately 13,800 new cast stone elements in the restoration. Very little of the Roxbury Puddingstone (the predominant stone) is being replaced in this project. The masons will be working their way around the building with a boom lift to access the areas for field measuring.
  
• Façade Restoration / Site Work: The site is set up and we are ready to start the exterior restoration work. We started stripping the existing roof at the South Elevation and will follow with removal of the existing façade cast stones. Once the cast stones are removed, in April you will start seeing new cast stones being installed at the windows and the horizontal bands. More staging will follow on the West and East elevations. The West staging will be for the remove and install the roofing and gable cast stone caps. The east staging we will be for the roof and façade Restoration. The East will be similar to the South, removal of roofing and existing cast stones get ready for new cast stone Installation. Utility work in the access road between Linden Lane and the roof of the Commonwealth Ave Garage will be starting in March and continue into April. This work will be installation of new utilities under the access road.
  
• Interior : Inside the building demolition and abatement is starting. The attic, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and ground floors are being completely gutted and rebuilt. The 1st floor layout is maintained, with some changes to the kitchen.
  
• Interior Renovation: Abatement is nearly complete and the heavy demolition has started on the 4th floor and Attic. Heavy demolition will continue down the building from the 3rd to the 2nd floors. Ground level heavy demolition has started and we will follow with sawcutting and new plumbing underground and elevator pits will construction will start.
  
• Areas to Note: The first new cast stones will be installed on the South elevation in April.
  

Impetus for the Project

“Given its age, St. Mary’s Hall is in need of significant upgrades, including the building envelope and the building systems,” said Mary Nardone, associate vice president of capital projects management. “On the inside, the overall goal is to maintain the wonderful 'feel' of St. Mary’s on the first level, while upgrading the residential floors to improve functionality and efficiency. On the outside, there is a need to replace the roof and windows as well as the cast stone, which is approximately three times the quantity of Gasson Hall. Once completed, the transformation of the exterior of the building will be just as stunning as it was for Gasson."

“As a Jesuit community, our religious and apostolic life is what matters most to us,” said T. Frank Kennedy, S.J., Canisius Professor of Music and rector of the Jesuit community.

“We no longer needed all of the space we had once occupied in St. Mary’s, but we realized the value of living on campus and supporting the mission of the University through our presence and service,” said Fr. Kennedy. “We said we would be happy to stay in a building that has hosted the Jesuits since 1917—with the exception of World War II when the community left to provide housing for soldiers—if it was possible, and the University has made it possible.”

Jesuit Community, Chapel Relocation